FRAMING OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN NEWSPAPER CARTOONS DURING THE FIRST 35 DAYS OF THE LOCKDOWN IN NIGERIA

Yusuf Mu’azu, Jude Melea Moses, Michael Bitrus Mingyi

Abstract


The outbreak of the novel coronavirus and its containment approaches have clearly indicated the unpreparedness of different countries around the world to handle global health emergencies. Nigeria as the most populous black race in the world and the first sub-Saharan country to record the disease on February 27, 2020, quickly went into action by imposing restrictions on movements to stop the spread of the virus. In addition, the mass media was included as a frontline sector being purveyors of information on the novel coronavirus. This study examines newspaper cartoon framing of the COVID-19 pandemic, in The Punch, Daily Trust, Leadership, and The Guardian newspapers, during the first 35 days of the government-imposed lockdown in Nigeria. This study adopts a content analysis research design to fill the knowledge gap on the current state of how newspaper cartoons were employed during the COVID-19 global crisis. A total of 98 cartoons on COVID-19 were found in 102 newspaper editions during the period.  Finding from the study indicated that newspaper cartoons accompanied with texts were employed on a daily basis by The Punch, Daily Trust, Leadership, and The Guardian newspapers in Nigeria to share information on the coronavirus. Further findings indicated that the preventive illustration frame was the dominant frame used during the lockdown. The study recommends more illustration-oriented cartoons (without texts) for the benefit of those that cannot read cartoon illustrated text.


Keywords


COVID-19 Lockdown; Newspaper Cartoons; Framing; health communication; Nigeria;

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.47851/naujocommed.v2i2.130

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Department of Mass Communication. Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka.

ISSN:2756-486X (Online)